58 | INFRASTRUCTURE Palmerston North City Council: Ashhurst Water Treatment Plant T T Anne Boswell New system to supply fresh, clean water This upgrade involves building a brand-new Pro-OX media filtration system, which will improve the raw water quality by reducing the iron and manganese content, improving the aesthetics and quality of the water. “Although the levels are minute, industry experience and testing has shown that this is all it takes to discolour the water and create an unpleasant customer experience.” Discoloured water is close to being a thing of the past for Ashhurst residents, with the town’s new water treatment plant project due for completion in September 2025. The new plant, the first of its kind installed within the Palmerston North drinking-water supply, is planned to form a new standard of water treatment within various water supply zones managed by the Palmerston North City Council. PNCC service manager - water, Wayne Venter, says the ground water bore that supplies the Ashhurst community has historically contained small amounts of naturally occurring iron and manganese. “Although the levels are minute, industry experience and testing has shown that this is all it takes to discolour the water and create an unpleasant customer experience,” he says. “The discolouration that doesn’t come out of the taps typically settles within the pipelines over time. When there is a change in flow direction or velocity through the lines, the discolouration remixes into the supply and is generally not very aesthetically pleasing.” A solution to rectify this issue was trialled, tested, and proved successful by the PNCC team in 2004. This took the form of a cartridge filtration station along Oxford Street, which has been helping to keep the water clean in Ashhurst since commissioning. It was a unique solution, which suited the budget and provided a practical solution at the levels of chlorination required during those times. “However, it has now come time to replace the station with a new media filtration plant that is specifically designed to cope with the increased levels of discolouration we are experiencing across the PNCC supplies,” Wayne says. This upgrade involves building a brand-new Pro-OX media filtration system, which will improve the raw water quality by reducing the iron and manganese content, improving the aesthetics and quality of the water. The new bulk filtration system has many benefits. The water is cleaned from any meaningful levels of iron and manganese as close to the source as possible, reducing the amount of sedimentation build-up that can occur in the pipelines and reservoir over time. There is no production of landfill waste, such as used filtration cartridges, and the new filtration system will reduce the wastage of the water required to flush the reticulation pipelines clean, whilst also reducing the cleaning requirement of sedimentation build-up within the reservoirs. The project, which was awarded to Bellcon Ltd, commenced in September 2024 and practical completion is scheduled for September 2025. Alongside Bellcon and its subcontractors, Max Tarr has assisted with various electrical and instrumentation upgrades as part of an overall upgrade to the facility. “The project thus far has been a success, with the targeted date for final hand-over exceeding original baseline expectations,” Wayne says. “In addition to the team of PNCC water employees, Bellcon Ltd and Stantec, we wish to thank the landowners upon which the water treatment plant is located for their excellent collaboration and patience through this process. “I am certain the Ashhurst community will greatly appreciate this for many years to come. “The PNCC Water Team’s ultimate objective is to provide excellent-quality, great-tasting, compliant and safe drinking water to all of our customers into the future.” Bellcon Limited – Your Project, Engineered to Succeed From concept to commissioning, Bellcon delivers expert project management, engineering, and shutdown planning services across New Zealand. • Project & Commissioning Management • Design Reviews & Shutdown Coordination • Civil, Water, and Industrial Sector Expertise Trusted. Proven. Precise. Nationwide service Get in touch: www.bellcon.co.nz Delivering smart, sustainable water infrastructure across New Zealand.
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